


The Six Wives of the Spades King

by Capucine



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Cardverse, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-26
Updated: 2015-09-14
Packaged: 2018-03-15 07:49:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3439319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Capucine/pseuds/Capucine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>King Alfred is an oddity among the Kings and other rulers of the world: he had six wives in the course of a not-extraordinarily-long life. Herein lies the tale of the unfortunate women whom he chose to love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Wife: Queen Alice

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously this has some basis on Henry VIII, but what follows is still an original story. I hope you enjoy it. :) Also, in this setting, the Queen is chosen by the King.
> 
> Names:
> 
> Alfred = America  
> Alice = England  
> Maddie = Canada  
> Thanh = Vietnam  
> Sheila = Australia  
> Gillian = Prussia  
> Chun-Yan = China  
> Petra = Sealand  
> Anneliese = Kugelmugel  
> Philippe = Quebec  
> Lars = Netherlands

Queen Alice was the first queen of Spades. All loved her, despite her being seven years older than the seventeen year old King. Alfred had been groomed all his life for his position as King; Alice had been raised with the expectation of much to command and great powers within her reach.

Alfred had truly, deeply fallen in love with her. Despite her coming from a family with little money, despite her older age, he had fallen head over heels like a puppy. He had seen her many times from his isolated little room in the hidden depths of the castle, waiting for the old king to pass on. He had dropped things for her to pick up, and she had always picked them up and smiled at him.

He was lucky; she had been unable to be married for so long due to lack of a dowry. When he became King, his first action had been to declare his engagement to her.

He had rescued her from a poor marriage, from sinking into obscurity; she held her head high anyways, a dignified Queen from the moment she heard of his proposal. That was what made Alfred giddy like a little boy, to hold her hand and try to get her to dance with him.

And like a little boy, he was extravagant. He showered her with jewels, gold, and silver things; he got her the finest of dressmakers and finest of materials to wear. They had great feasts and tournaments and masquerades.

Alice presided over the court like a seasoned ruler; she seemed set on coming across as the wise Queen behind the King.

She started several things that made her quite popular with the people. One, a group of servants responsible for taking the leftovers of the feasts and giving them to the poor; two, she gave huge donations to the churches, allowing them to both glorify their maker and take better care of orphans and widows. Three, she commissioned great works of art, especially by lower class painters and sculptors and the like, and lastly, she always heard complaints of the people after her church services in the cathedral.

The first baby had brought a party; they named her Petra, and she was a pink, blonde little bundle of joy. Alfred threw a great party, and reasoned that if a girl had survived the first time, a boy would be sure to follow.

Throughout the years, there were more babies, but none survived past a week; some were even stillborn. And more and more, Alfred worried about having an heir.

However, it was suggested that Petra simply marry the prince of Hearts, and the problem would be solved, uniting the kingdoms and making them a superpower; Alice had no reason to suspect anything was out of the ordinary, even if the King took his mistresses. That was normal for a King: there was no expected loyalty on his part sexually, while her devotion and chastity was highly expected. That was how it was, and Alice turned a blind eye to his many mistresses throughout the years.

Petra was a tiny girl, but she was smart. She learned four languages, philosophy, religion, history of the four kingdoms, and of course the typical instruments, embroidery, sewing, and other womanly arts. She looked so much like her mother it was astonishing.

Alfred proudly showed her off to everybody the first ten years of her life. He'd dance with her at feasts, and tell her great stories of his victories against the Diamonds Kingdom. For, of course, Alfred was nothing without the stories that made him a great hero.

Never mind that Alice had defended their homeland with equal bravery while he'd been gone, protecting from civil war; he was the glorious hero. Alice let him believe that, with some affection and amusement.

It had happened so suddenly, so unexpectedly, to Alice, that she had displayed emotion she hadn't expected.

Alfred came to her, explained that he was sure she had had premarital relations with another man, and that their marriage wasn't valid, and what convent did she want to retire to while he married anew? 

She had wept, and he hadn't known how to handle it. He'd fled from the room.

Gillian was the source, his new mistress. Of that much, Alice was sure. Gillian was younger, able to bear children, and she had bewitched the king.

Alfred called it his 'great matter'; others, less polite, called it 'wanting to fuck Gillian, that witch'. She had long white hair, brilliant red eyes, and the type of daring and passion that turned the King to her side. Not that she ever allowed him to bed her, which was what was driving Alfred crazy; as King, he always got what he wanted. No one dared deny him, except for Gillian.

Soon, Alice knew more of Gillian: she said she would only give him what he wanted when he married her.

Alice never saw the letters, full of amorous intentions, threats, cajoling, everything Alfred could think of to get Gillian to give in to him; but she did see the King's behavior. When she refused to renounce her title as Queen, declare Petra a bastard, and stay in a convent, he turned cold.

He made Gillian a lady-in-waiting to Alice, insult to injury. He had her dance with him, the Queen's old place; he had her sit by him at feasts.

All the while, he never called the Queen to his bed, and to hurt her, he sent delicate Petra far away. Petra had never been without her mother for more than a day or so.

He got the priests on his side to talk with the Queen, to pressure her, to urge her to confess to a contract to another man, whom they named as Lars, a stoic man who had since moved to the Diamond Kingdom, hoping to earn a pretty coin or two selling his vast stores of cloth.

She denied it.

That was when King Alfred turned nasty.

She had not been a virgin when he bedded her, he protested, he had been mistaken. God was punishing them with dead children and a frail girl as his only heir, and she must confess, as he already had, to the great sin they had lived in.

He had a great court drawn up, everyone against the Queen, even her own lawyers, who play acted at defending her. The common people, of course, would have been glad to storm the court for the Queen's sake, as she was far more beloved than the King, but she didn't want to cause the Spades Kingdom to have a bloody revolution or civil war, so she didn't incite it. She strongly believed that the fact she was right, telling the truth, and the fact the King still surely loved her, would win out.

"My King," she pleaded, on her knees before her husband and sovereign, "There has only ever been you. Why do you turn away from your true wife, from your child? I confess only to being an unpledged virgin at the time of our betrothal, and a spotless lamb at the time of our consummation. You loved me enough to accept me without dowry; I have done everything I could to give you the children you wanted, but it was not God's will. What has made you attempt to cast me out?"

The King stonily ignored her. He had already given his prepared speech, insisting that he was trying to do what was right. His speech had been nowhere near as passionate as the Queen's.

Everyone believed what the Queen doggedly ignored: the King's affections were elsewhere, namely with Gillian.

And it would have been over, just like that, had it not been for King Francis of Diamonds. The court had been near their foregone conclusion, but then an official letter from King Francis had arrived.

"The Queen of Spades is a relation of mine, through my great grandfather," he wrote, "I am honor-bound to defend her purity to the end; as such, a deposition of the Queen will mean terrible things for the trade agreements and the peace treaty signed five years ago. I know how much you spent on that war, so I can't imagine you've a lot left for another one. His holy highness, King Francis of Diamonds."

It was a fit like no one had ever seen the King of Spades throw. Sure, he'd always had a temper, but he called the Queen herself into his chambers, not for giggling and innocent love making as many years ago, but instead to yell in her face and tell her to call off the King of Diamonds, to say that she quietly accepted the court's decision and retire to a convent.

She refused. She calmly kept her ground, keeping her temper in a way the King had long forgotten. Secretly, she felt relief; with King Francis opposing, there was no way Alfred would risk war to marry Gillian.

Gillian grew sulky. If they thought the King threw fits, they had yet to get to know Gillian. She screamed at him, something that no one else dared do; she had him wrapped around her pinky, and she insisted that he fix this, that she had waited two years now and if he wanted children by her, then by god he had better hurry up and marry her.

Alfred was in an uncomfortable place. He had no idea how to fix things.

He tried a feeble treaty to marry his children by Gillian to Francis's children by his Queen, Lily, but Francis shot it down. He tried promising works of art, armies against Hearts or Clubs, almost anything he could think of short of his own throne. Again, Francis was not easily swayed.

Alice knew that it was unlikely he was doing it out of affection for her; while they had met and mostly got along, she had once called him a frog to his face before she learned to control her temper better. He was six years older than her, with many blonde little children. But she knew that Alfred had been the one to raise a war against Diamonds for the sole reason of potential glory, and the destruction was not a thing easily forgotten by Francis. No, Alfred had not won, but he had destroyed much that was precious to Francis.

So, they were locked in a situation, until Alfred or Alice gave in. Unfortunately, both of them had iron wills.

He came to her, wheedling, promising that she would be happy if she only gave up being Queen. When she refused, he had her sent to a far away estate, one that was cold and damp and so far away from the Princess Petra. She already wasn't the best when it came to health, and this brought her to have a perpetual cold.

She also had no money, nothing to pay her servants with. In the beginning, the first of the long months, her servants had stayed. After a while, even the best of them had deserted, taking with them anything of value. No one wanted to be with the disgraced Queen, except a small handful who believed in her cause and considered her a great friend.

Her hip had started to hurt. Soon, it became a bit painful to walk.

She could not contact anyone, much less Francis, to tell them of her condition; every letter was opened and read. Still, she persisted in calling herself Queen of Spades.

Then came the letter: she was to be called Princess Dowager, and Petra 'Lady Petra' as the bastard she was being declared to be. Alice wondered what had happened to bring this about; it was only a month later that she was told that Francis had become engaged in war with Clubs, and as such could not support his threats regarding herself.

She heard of the crowning of 'Queen Gillian' and of her round stomach at the time of the ceremony; the wedding was swiftly followed with the crowning. Alice still hoped, still prayed that Alfred would remember his love and turn back to her; she prayed the baby would be gently borne to Heaven, or that it would be a girl. With a mother like that, there was no hope for the child, she was sure.

She finally got word from Alfred, but it was only to demand Princess Petra's christening gown; the baby was soon to be born, and she was to bring the gown herself.

It was a blow, but Alice held herself in a dignified fashion, and went to the Royal Palace. She held the precious christening gown in hand, and heard Gillian's screams from childbirth; when the baby was born a girl, she quietly thanked the lord. She didn't see Alfred, and was swiftly made to leave back to her horrible home.

It was only months later that she finally succumbed to the damp and cold, and passed on quietly.


	2. Second Wife: Queen Gillian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queen Gillian's short and scary reign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Names:
> 
> Alfred = America  
> Alice = England  
> Maddie = Canada  
> Thanh = Vietnam  
> Sheila = Australia  
> Gillian = Prussia  
> Chun-Yan = China  
> Petra = Sealand  
> Anneliese = Kugelmugel  
> Philippe = Quebec  
> Lars = Netherlands  
> Marta = Germany  
> Hans = Hesse

It wasn't enough for Queen Gillian that she'd succeeded in getting ride of Queen Alice. It wasn't enough that a great party was thrown to celebrate the Princess Dowager's long-awaited death. She had to have a son.

Alfred had proclamations all ready to go out the moment the waited-for son was born; he gave everything she wanted, even from nobles who had once supported him. All described him, secretly, as gone mad by the curse of Queen Gillian.

Whenever she went out in public, she had to be protected by an armed guard of considerable size, or else the regular people would start chucking stones or rotten vegetables. They called her the 'Great Whore' and other names that Gillian simply turned up her nose at. She was queen now. They would learn to respect her.

She whined at the king, demanding he show his power and punish those who dared to 'rebel at his authority.'

Alfred took her hand, kissing it and saying it would be done. So began a reign of terror, where almost anyone who dared look the Queen in the eyes was punished severely, from whippings to stocks to outright death. In fact, many who had supported Queen Alice found themselves penniless, property-less, and often dead.

Gillian basked in the glow of the gold confiscated from her enemies.

Gillian soon gave birth, and to her dismay, it was a girl. She was named Anneliese, for Gillian's mother, and she had the same white hair as Gillian, though far more purple-colored eyes.

It wasn't enough to Gillian that she had caused the death of the Princess Dowager. As soon as Princess Anneliese was born and christened, she was placed in the care of Gillian's sister, a strong blonde who she'd trust with her life. Pretty quickly, she wheedled the king into having his other daughter serve Anneliese like a common servant. The King agreed, still enamored with her and feeling Lady Petra needed punishment for insisting on referring to herself as Princess Petra.

Gillian made sure there were extra instructions: hit Petra at every mistake, and even when there wasn't a mistake. She was to forget she had ever known luxury, that she had ever been decked in jewel and beautiful clothes. She would not allow for even another dress of plain cloth to be made for the thirteen year old, who was in desperate need of new clothes of any kind.

She was a bastard. She deserved no better.

Gillian promised King Alfred that she was fertile, as her younger sister had been when he bedded her as a mistress. Three children from her, so surely it ran in the family and Gillian would soon have a boy.

But there was one thing Gillian did not count on: The King's wandering eye.

He had another mistress soon enough, and this caused a great argument. Gillian screamed at the king, unwilling to share despite it having been the lot of many a queen before her. He shouted back, getting sick of her tantrums.

The only reason he held back was that she had another baby developing in her. Gillian knew she was in desperate straits; the king's eye was already on a sweet, malleable girl named Maddie, short for Madeline. She originally came from Francis' court, and she was as demure and soft-spoken as Gillian was overt and loud.

Quite unfortunately, she lost the baby. She did not tell the king, who mumbled more about witchcraft and such.

Instead, she knew she had to get pregnant again, somehow. She didn't trust any men other than her brother, Hans. He was unusual in the court, with his long hair the scar over his eye.

Whether or not they were able to copulate, they tried. It ended with Hans crying on his sister, feeling utterly disgusting. But Gillian knew the hope now was that she would conceive his baby, and King Alfred would never know the difference.

That hope was in vain. King Alfred found out through his spies, and he proclaimed that the marriage with GIllian was not valid, and in the same breath that she had committed adultery against him, as well as acting against the laws of nature by bedding her brother. She was sentenced to have her head chopped off by sword; her brother, and five men suspected of fornicating with her, were beheaded by an ax.

Gillian, in her last hours, had Lady Petra brought to see her, and begged her forgiveness. No one knew for sure if Petra gave it, but Gillian faced the executioner with amazing calm and grace.

King Alfred didn't bother to attend the last moments of his second wife's life. Instead, his eye was on Maddie, and how quickly they could marry...


	3. Interlude: Princess Petra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Names:
> 
> Alfred = America  
> Alice = England  
> Maddie = Canada  
> Thanh = Vietnam  
> Sheila = Australia  
> Gillian = Prussia  
> Chun-Yan = China  
> Petra = Sealand  
> Anneliese = Kugelmugel  
> Philippe = Quebec  
> Lars = Netherlands  
> Marta = Germany  
> Hans = Hesse  
> Lux = Luxembourg

Princess Petra was as strong-willed as her mother. She knew she had to endure, knew that her father had to change his mind about making her a bastard. Everyone called her Lady Petra.

Or, more accurately, during Gillian's reign, Brat.

Lady Marta, Gillian's sister, had been in charge of the care of Princess Anneliese. She was kind enough, or at least she didn't add to Petra's burden. No one raised a hand to help Petra, only to strike. 

The baby got diaper rash-- slap across the face. The baby was crying for too long-- slap in the head. The precious princess fell and scraped her knees-- another slap. 

But it wasn't Princess Anneliese's fault-- though Petra referred to her as Lady Anneliese and got slapped for that too. Anneliese was small, chubby, white hair like her mother-- but she wasn't her mother. She gurgled and grinned gummy smiles and held so tightly to Petra, when at late nights she rocked her in a chair.

No, Princess Petra loved Anneliese, even if her very existence endangered her own future. It was impossible not to love her, as she was the only thing showing Petra love at this point in her life. Letters from her mother had been forbidden before she died, and Petra would never forgive Gillian for not allowing her to see her mother when she was dying. The ambassador for Diamonds was her only friend, and he was not affectionate, but practical and pragmatic.

The Diamonds ambassador was a young man named Lux. He had half his hair over his eyes, and he always gave counsel to her.

When her father made it a law to accept Gillian as Queen, she refused. She stood there in her gown that revealed her wrists yet hung loose on her torso, and told the messenger in a calm tone that to accept Gillian as Queen was to defile her mother's memory and declare herself a bastard, none of which she would do. She was sixteen at the time.

And she continued to refuse. Some days, Gillian would show up, wheedling and promising new clothes, good food, tender care, if she would only stop calling herself the Princess and accept her Queen. Then she'd buffet her about the head when she refused.

All in all, Petra suffered from a weak constitution, and these days of not knowing whether or not she would live had her in constant pain and poor digestion. She was rapidly losing weight, tiny for her age before but even tinier now. The only reason her few old dresses fit her was that she was stunted, not developing properly.

In the meantime, Anneliese was a beautiful two year old child. It was Petra's job to take her into the garden and mind her, to make sure she never suffered in any way, shape or form.

It was just one such day when Lux showed up, face frantic as he told her the news: her father had specifically pointed her out, saying that if she did not accept the decree she was a bastard and Gillian was Queen, she was to die.

Others already had, he said, clasping her thin hands in his. And she was too young, too important, to die. She had to sign the statement that would be sent, even though it meant calling herself a bastard.

She had thought before that her father could never do such a thing to her. She had thought, even if other people died, he would not sentence his beloved daughter to death.

But she trusted Lux, and she knew the hold the witch had on him. She signed the papers that day, in a trembling hand; Lux had her sign her own papers, sent to King Francis, that said she repudiated all claims of her bastardhood, that she had been under duress to sign any papers saying such. These papers would not come in use in her youth, but Lux assured her it protected her in future events.

Petra was skinny now, always sick, always in pain. When Gillian sent for her, when she finally knew why Marta whispered in harsh and frantic tones, she could only gaze on the woman who had made her life a living Hell.

But Gillian was not the Gillian who would have willingly taken a switch to her. Instead, in simple clothing, she said, “I have done you great wrong; I am to pay for my sins now. Please, know that you have my deepest regret, and I beg for your forgiveness before I face death.”

Petra did what she was sure her mother would have done: she forgave. She took Gillian's hands in hers and prayed a quick prayer, asking God to accept this woman's plea to be taken into Heaven.

They both cried.

None knew what happened in that room, in that cell, but Petra. And she was determined to keep it to herself til the end of her days.

Gillian died not two days later.

Petra's suffering was to be over-- for now.


	4. Third Wife: Queen Maddie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queen Maddie's quiet rule.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Names:
> 
> Alfred = America  
> Alice = England  
> Maddie = Canada  
> Thanh = Vietnam  
> Sheila = Australia  
> Gillian = Prussia  
> Chun-Yan = China  
> Petra = Sealand  
> Anneliese = Kugelmugel  
> Philippe = Quebec  
> Lars = Netherlands  
> Marta = Germany  
> Hans = Hesse  
> Lux = Luxembourg

Maddie was easily the sweetest girl at court. Where her family schemed to get her into power, to woo the King despite his tendency towards causing his Queens’ deaths, she saw only a lost young man. He was still handsome, still capable of tender feelings.

So, when Alfred, within days of Gillian’s death, proposed marriage to Maddie, there was only one thing to do: accept.

None dared refuse the king in these days, for so many who did lost their heads, but at the same time, Maddie felt like she could find the good in the king; she could bring out his righteous tendencies, his tender love, his fierce feelings for his country. She could set it right.

That was what he truly loved about her, though. Where Gillian was harsh and strident, she was meek and unassuming. She would gently acquiesce to his every request, and very rarely could they be heard to have an argument, and never a true fight. There was not a harsh bone in Maddie’s body.

That wasn't to say she didn't work to change things. Maddie was not crowned Queen after the wedding, despite Alfred's passionate poems professing his love. The unspoken promise was: a son for a crown.

And Maddie was sure she would have that crown, and heal the Spades Kingdom.

The first thing that Maddie did was melt Alfred's attitude towards his daughter, Petra. She was not much older than Petra, but she still held a certain softness and diplomacy the Lady Petra did not. No, it was too much to hope that Alfred would change Petra's status as a bastard, because that would be admitting he had been wrong. Even now, as he cast Anneliese into bastardhood as well, he refused to even have the slightest admittance of being wrong.

He had been bewitched. He was not at fault for what happened with Gillian. He was right, right, right.

Maddie could see the pain in tiny Petra's body and face, and she was kind to her stepdaughter. She would frequently request gifts on Petra's behalf, dressing her in fine clothes and sending her smart little trinkets. She made sure she had everything she needed, and a doctor to tend to her.

Anneliese was also a delight. Though she had her mother's pure white hair, she did not seem to show any of her mother's guile. She was all of three years old, soon to be four, but still, Maddie felt sure that Anneliese would turn out better than Gillian. She enjoyed feeding the child sweets and running her hands through her hair, which was very silky.

Maddie did everything she could to stitch the family together. Even when Alfred raged, she kept a soft tone. Even when Alfred complained of the great evil Gillian and Alice had done him, she kept soothing hands on his shoulders. 

And it paid off. Soon, her belly began to swell, and soothsayers happily predicted a boy.

Alfred was over the moon. He was more cautious than a first time father might be, but he eagerly patted her belly, mentioned his 'true firstborn' to everyone, and began elaborate plans for the christening, the parties, and the announcements.

It would be a boy. By god, it had to be a boy.

But Maddie did not rest too much, even in these times. She still coddled Anneliese as though she were her own cute little tot, and she still indulged Petra, feeling as though she had to repay the girl for the years stolen from her under Gillian.

King Francis of Diamonds sent his regards, as Maddie was an even closer relative of his than Queen Alice had been. He also sent a small circlet, with a pearl as the center, meant for a gentle rest on an infant head.

The christening gown had to be new. That was one thing that Alfred was certain of. He had the finest silks prepared, gems encrusted on them, elaborate length, elaborate lace, and of course, the symbol of Spades in gold thread.

And of course, a new baptismal font was cast, this one inlaid with a massive amount of mother of pearl. Gold edged the font, and a rich ebony wood made up the stand. Announcements were printed in silver, on thick, rich paper in the most beautiful calligraphy possible.

All this had Maddie quietly buzzing with excitement. She was nervous too, but she trusted it was a boy. She was sure it was a boy. Fate had brought her here, and fate would bless her with a beautiful little boy.

Then, after that, not only the crown, but also more children, pretty little girls and more strong baby boys. And then, Petra would be married off, happy, having her own children and having little more to do with King Alfred, if she so chose. Anneliese's marriage could be arranged after that, to a modest noble's third or fourth son, a good lad, she would be sure, someone that could handle Anneliese's high spirits, presuming she still had them as an adult.

And then, oh! Back into good faith with Diamonds, less into the troubling alliance with Hearts, and of course, as always, a cool friendship with Clubs.

Elisaveta was a beautiful queen. Maddie wondered if she'd like her, honestly, and then she thought about Hearts' Queen, Sakura, and supposed that it would not be so bad to know her either, as much as she opposed an alliance with Hearts. Lastly, there was Queen Lily, already mother to a son, a pair of twin daughters, and two boys after that, all beautiful blondes. They would make excellent matches for Maddie and Alfred's children, who would be just as beautiful, if not more so.

But then it was time. The long wait, as Maddie was put into the birthing chambers a month ahead of her rough due date.

It was nothing but idle chatter with her ladies-in-waiting, nothing but waiting, waiting, waiting. But Maddie could do it. She would do it. She had to please Alfred, and only then could she do the things she wanted to do, save the kingdom from potential ruin.

And take care of those poor girls, the bastard children.

Alfred had already suggested a name for the child: 'Alfred II.'

She supposed she would get to name the next one.

Except she didn't. And she never would. As soon as the baby was born, a blond with purple eyes, and yes, a boy, she fell into a fever.

Alfred had her brought in a bed to see her infant son's christening; he held her hand, promising, “Philippe, like you wanted, that's his name,” but it did little good.

Within three days, Maddie had closed her gentle eyes on their kingdom for the last time.

It did no good, but Alfred had her crowned afterwards. She did, at least, earn that.


	5. Fourth Wife: Thanh

Thanh was not a princess per se. She was, however, a cousin of the Hearts Queen, distantly related but important enough in society to elevate to Queen. Not that Alfred was ready to make her Queen immediately; like with Maddie (blessed, poor Maddie), Thanh would have to make herself worthy.

And she seemed worthy with the picture sent him: the doe-like eyes, the softly-downturned smile, the clear, fresh skin... and of course, the good relations with Hearts. But it was the picture that King Alfred fell for, and he agreed eagerly to his minister's plans to bring this gem to his side.

All of court nervously prepared to welcome Thanh. What if she was as luckless as the previous queens? What if she turned out to be more horrible? 

Hearts was not the alliance most people wanted. There was a whole section of people vehemently against it (Maddie had been a part of that, though less vehemently). But still, none dared speak against the King when there had been so many heads separated from their bodies over his first and second marriages (the second of which he now claimed never counted).

Thanh was rumored to be the beauty of Hearts, the fine lotus flower. They gazed upon the portrait and sighed, hoping she was as kind as Maddie, and she had to be, if her kind gaze in the portrait was anything to go off of.

King Alfred boasted that there was only the finest of brides for him, and that's what Thanh was. His Jack, Chun-Yan, was related to Thanh, and said nothing either way, too wise to put herself in a place that could end badly.

And it was a good thing she didn't.

On the day Thanh arrived, the boyish grin disappeared from Alfred's face. He stared at his solemn, unsmiling bride, and began to pick her apart with his eyes.

Everyone agreed she was lovely, though not like the portrait. She had sharp, dark brown eyes, a roundish face, a solemn bent to her mouth... and a scar on her throat. It was not really all that nasty or unbecoming; in fact, it really didn't muss up her appearance at all. But to King Alfred, it was a sign of things to come.

They married. It was a very quiet ceremony, with important nobles and the like invited, but really no others. There wasn't anywhere near the jubilation in the street as there had been years ago, when Alfred married Alice. Still, there was not the contempt at a level on par with when he married Gillian either, so he didn't really care.

It wasn't too long after their wedding night that Alfred pulled aside his chancellor to complain to him.

Thanh was too skinny, and her breasts were too lopsided; she was so ugly, he couldn't bear to deflower her, besides which, he believed she might not be a virgin. That scar was nauseating; that face was too sharp. He couldn't possibly be expected to mount her, much less have her bear his children.

He moaned and groaned about the whole ordeal, how he'd had to see her naked body and how disgusting it was, disregarding the fact that his own body was not so pleasurable to look at anymore; he'd put on weight, and had started to get a sort of sore on his leg.

Thanh was oblivious, or so it seemed. She had allowed her husband to kiss her on the forehead, and had said to her ladies in waiting, “He calls me wife, and kisses me. Is that not all that is needed for a child?”

Quickly, very quickly, Alfred began the proceedings for an annulment. He had never consummated his marriage with Thanh, he said, proclaiming that she was far to ugly to everyone.

Thanh heard about it. There was no hiding it from her, considering how loud and public Alfred was about it. However, Thanh was also very smart. Instead of pushing for the marriage to remain, or complaining back, or even pushing to go back home, she waited. She willingly went along with the annulment, though she was different, as she approached Alfred in private.

She asked only for a place to live and an allowance, and there would be no problem annulling the marriage. She did it in such a way that it allowed Alfred to feel like he was a good man, not a scumbag or a threatened man. She kissed his hand and thanked him for his decision.

His eye was already on someone else. Thanh happily sank into unmarried retirement, on her own estate and with a considerable income.

Alfred suddenly warmed up to her after that, calling her his ‘sister’ and often having her over for tournaments and games. They enjoyed playing chess together, though Alfred somehow always won.

It was a relief for the court, until he latched on to his next wife.


	6. Fifth Wife: Queen Sheila

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alfred = America  
> Alice = England  
> Maddie = Canada  
> Thanh = Vietnam  
> Sheila = Australia  
> Gillian = Prussia  
> Chun-Yan = China  
> Petra = Sealand  
> Anneliese = Kugelmugel  
> Philippe = Quebec  
> Lars = Netherlands  
> Heracles = Greece  
> Ajit = India  
> Theodore = New Zealand

Sheila was to be the one who finally made King Alfred happy. At a mere seventeen years of age to Alfred's fifty, she was a lithe little nymph for him to love unreservedly. She had long brown hair and a deep tan, and the only thing she stopped for was Alfred.

A whole summer of kingly duties were neglected after the wedding, a sumptuous affair with costly arrangements. Sheila had worn cloth of silver to Alfred's cloth of gold, and her motto, rather than the bold declaration many who knew her expected, was a demure, _To do as he wills._

For that was to be inscribed on many things involving her, and it became the King's favorite thing about her. He loved kissing her passionately, and every ounce of hatred and revulsion towards Thanh was reversed twofold towards Sheila.

Not to say Thanh was forgotten. Thanh, where she had once been quite ignorant of Spades court's intricacies and modus operandi, had learned to maneuver gracefully. She wisely stayed away for the couple's honeymoon, but returned to court as the King's sister.

She kissed Sheila's hand, and where a year ago this would have produced giggles at the ticklish sensation, Sheila managed to remain dignified. She brought Thanh from her knees to her feet, embracing her as the king's sister and telling her she need never kneel before her queen.

Thanh had successfully navigated her new role. But it was yet to be seen if Sheila could.

A great Progress was had, meeting up with the Diamonds King, his beautiful little wife and their many blonde children. Alfred made many comments about matching up his little Philippe with the older Anastasie, or with either of the twin girls, Emmanuelle or Emeline. Francis made a too-sharp remark on how perhaps Petra and his eldest, Hyacinthe, would have been a good match.

Alfred was in a bad mood for a while, until Sheila pulled him out of it with her womanly charms. As Francis quipped to a servant later, 'the young queen's pillows seem more than enough to draw him into a happy stupor.'

Sheila danced with almost anyone. King Francis, his eldest Hyacinthe, Alfred's more mobile friends, and she did it with such grace that Alfred seemed eager to leave the feast to meet his queen in her chambers.

His children were with him.

Petra was four years older than Sheila now. She sat with a solemn face, a mirror of her mother in rough times. She was wearing a beautiful damask gown that Sheila had gotten Alfred to give her, though her jewels were much more modest than Sheila's. That didn't bother Petra, though; she was simply content to endure the Progress and then sink back into quiet simplicity, playing her cards with her friends and practicing her instruments. She'd learned that it did no good to be the crooked nail sticking out of the piece of work; it only got brutally pounded into place.

Anneliese, about twelve years old, watched the proceedings with delight. She was wearing a lilac silk gown, also procured for her by Sheila. She loved Sheila and everything she did, and in fact joined her in dancing, her slim hands held by Sheila's tan ones. Sheila showed every bit of affection towards Anneliese, an oft neglected girl. Anneliese had been shoved to the back, behind even Lady Petra, when her mother was executed and she herself declared a bastard. Now, she clung to this semblance of a mother. Marta had always been a kind aunt, but she was away with her own children far too often.

Little Philippe, six years old now, was a frail child, like his elder half-sister. He was small and constantly sick. At the moment, in his grand silk suit, he was of good health, and solemnly danced with his half-sister Anneliese. For her every dreamy grin, she was matched with solemn dedication, small hands gripping hers as tight as if they were dancing their wedding dance. Sheila was not too surprised to hear later Philippe talk of marrying 'my sweet Anneliese, my pearl' as she visited him before bed.

Of course, the feast was swiftly followed by Sheila joining the King in bed, as always.

But there was a secret that night, that went mostly unnoticed: in the grand tents they had set up, Sheila left her flap open.

A figure crept in, and no one saw—for now.

The next days were spent in a grand fashion hunting with King Francis and Queen Lily; their Jacks accompanied them, solemn-faced Chun-Yan on her pony and equally solemn-faced Vash on his great charger.

Alfred managed to get himself and Sheila lost—though that was an impossibility. Chun-Yan and the King's Guard was in actuality not far away. But Alfred pretended, and so Sheila pretended, and again they coupled.

This next week, they stayed in a beautiful castle that belonged to a brother of King Francis, and Alfred showered his love in beautiful roses, and proclaimed her the true love of his life—never had he felt such feelings, he declared, not with any other Queen. He had a mother of pearl inlaid jewelry box presented to her, and a cloth of silver banner made for his proxy to joust with under her name.

But again that night, the Queen's door was ajar. No one investigated it that time either, and a figure sneaked in and out.

Little Philippe requested to call Sheila mother on the next day, and that request was greeted with such tender affection that he stood by her side all day, proclaiming that he was defending her honor. He would threaten, with his little toy sword, to prick anyone who came too close. Sheila took this all in with hidden mirth.

As soon as the court returned to the main Royal Palace, things seemed to calm down. The King and Queen seemed to be in wedded bliss—at the least, the king was.

But that was when reports began to trickle in, and a terror new yet altogether too old and common was visited upon the court.

A man going by Heracles had apparently been boasting about 'having the queen by [her unmentionable part] when she was just a maid.'

When brought in for questioning, he was at first slow to understand the danger. But when he did, he recanted, claiming, under threat of torture, that he had merely touched her, and never actually done the deed. It had been between them, before she was married, and there was no law against doing such.

A whispered rumor was also brought up.

There was a man that she had known as well: Ajit. He was a good-looking man, and of good birth. Rumors from the household she used to be in said that she had coupled with him as many as three times, as a younger teenager.

He was brought in for questioning as well. He honestly admitted it, but said, again, that it had been before the Queen was married and it did not continue.

Still, Alfred, who had boasted that she had been a virgin when she came to him, was upset and humiliated.

Sheila was kept in the dark about it for as long as possible. When she realized that something had been discovered, she no longer ate treats and danced about in her chambers. The children had been moved so that they would not be there for whatever was about to take place.

She was quick to relay a message to Alfred once she was presented with the charges: premarital intercourse, which was not against the law, but in Alfred's Kingdom, it might as well be. She begged his forgiveness, saying it was a mistake she had made as a maid, and she had not thought he would want to know of it. She had thought she could come to him with the slate wiped clean, able to put her sins in the past behind her.

And Alfred was won over. He granted his mercy, calling her once again his sweet one, his true love...

But then the real secret was told him.

Sheila had been meeting up with a courtier, very highly placed, named Theodore (affectionately known as 'Teddy'). There was no doubt to the informant that she had been meeting him for intercourse.

Alfred's mercy turned to ice cold hate.

When she was told of the secret being leaked, all color went out of Sheila's face. She sank into her seat, and quietly said she had committed treason, hadn't she?

She had, according to the new definition by Alfred. And there was only one punishment for treason.

Ajit, Heracles, and Theodore were brought in for treason: in this kingdom, whatever the King defined as treason seemed to count.

Heracles, being a low man, was violently tortured before his death. Ajit had his head chopped off, as did Theodore.

But before he died, Theodore professed passionately, but quietly, that he and the Queen had never had intercourse, that she was innocent and they had merely shared long hours talking. He had had the intention of intercourse, but he had never quite reached it. Put him to death, but let the Queen live—she did no wrong save loving him.

 

The love was enough. Sheila was put in a very comfortable, pretty prison, but a prison nonetheless. 

Despite her carefree, lively attitude, Sheila spent her last days practicing instead. What she practiced was macabre: laying her head on the chopping block, and giving her pre-death speech.

Alfred put a new law in place: anyone who knew of the Queen having had relations with anyone at any time was committing treason by not reporting it. Any wife having relations with anyone but him, whether it be as simple as a kiss or a touch, was committing treason. Retroactively, this had been applied to the Queen's behavior.

When the time came, Alfred was not even there.

Sheila gave a short speech.

'I have offended God, my King, and my country; I can ask no mercy in this regard. I only pray that the pain of my death will be enough to atone for my sins. The King is right in this execution, his reasons just. I offer my soul to God; soon, it being his will, he will be the one King in my life.'

Her head was chopped off. There was nary a dry eye, but her speech had done what it was meant to: there was no uprising against a crazed king.


	7. Interlude: Princess Anneliese

Anneliese was probably the least advantaged member of Royalty at court. Petra used to be like her mom, but then she'd either shut herself away or been shut away in her own household, after Queen Maddie.

Then, Anneliese had had her own small household, and she only knew this because Queen Maddie was a story that Petra had told several times, whenever asked. Lady Petra, Lady Anneliese. That was who they were, and Anneliese didn't have another time to reference.

Lady Petra would pointedly, but quietly, call herself Princess Petra. She had a little downturn to her mouth as she looked at Anneliese and said it, and that was something that Anneliese did not understand for the longest time.

By twelve, however, she was quite aware of the implications. For Petra to be Princess, Anneliese _had_ to be illegitimate. Only one of the two marriages could be true, if either. And Anneliese cared too much about Petra's feelings to insist her mother was the one.

She still had mixed feelings on the woman she faintly remembered. She had been three or four when he mother had died—been executed. Shamed as the fox, the harlot, the witch... and they said it carried on in Anneliese, in her hair and her pale skin.

White hair was undoubtedly a sign of the devil. Or so Anneliese was told. Petra had said, almost unwillingly, that that was not the case before Gillian.

Anneliese believed that she was something, not nothing. If she was not a princess or a good person, then at least she was the devil child. At least she could use her devil powers to protect her sister (half sister, daughter of her mother's hated rival) and the few she considered safe.

She'd quite liked Queen Maddie. Queen Maddie had held her in her arms, kissed her on her tiny forehead and braided her hair. She'd made sure she was provided for.

Aunt Marta, or Lady Marta, as custom dictated, was also looking out for her—to an extent.

The family had little use for a bastard, especially the bastard of a wife (not-wife?) that the king hated. Even Aunt Marta visited less and less, having her own brood to care for—three bastards from the king and three more from her own husband.

Anneliese considered herself the parentless. King Alfred did not send for her for a very long time, and she whiled away her time reading, learning, studying... Even on how to rule.

You see, she had made a deal with the devil.

One day, she contacted him through the embers in the fireplace. She had promised she would never make love to a man if she could only rule. It was an easy promise, as Anneliese found men and especially their nakedness quite disgusting. In fact, she found the very idea of marriage a repulsive one. 

She burned her hand on an ember to seal the deal.

Some days, she had a faint hope this promise would lead to good things. On others, she cursed her foolishness and examined the burn scar on her hand.

In any case, such a thing was almost forgotten as she aged.

Then came Queen Sheila, and the happiest time of Anneliese's life.

Queen Sheila was only five years older than her. She understood her better than Petra, and was a whole hell of a lot more lively. She'd dance with Anneliese even at night, and was happily trying to arrange marriages for both Anneliese and Petra. She presumed that was what they wanted. 

She couldn't be further from the truth, of course, as Anneliese suspected Petra would rather be a nun and of course, she had promised herself to the devil, so this was not possible.

But Sheila was beautiful and vivacious and Anneliese had never wanted to kiss someone more. She settled for dancing, arms around Sheila's skinny waist and head delicately balanced on her shoulder.

She and Petra were both shorter than Sheila. Petra was near Anneliese's height, something she pointedly ignored whenever Anneliese made a point of it. She would get this tight-mouthed look on her face, look away, and refuse to talk to Anneliese for a while.

Queen Sheila made a fatal mistake, though. Anneliese saw the execution of her dear mother-ish figure, and ended up clutching Petra, face buried in her chest.

Petra said nothing, as if she'd seen it before, but she held Anneliese tightly, like a big sister ought to. Like a mother ought to.

Their sovereign father did not even bother showing up. It hurt Anneliese, it made her want to scream and cry and rip things to shreds. She didn't get why Sheila had to die, why her father was always slavering for blood. She wondered if she would be the next; she wondered if Petra would be the next.

Philippe would never have to worry. Philippe was far too precious.

As delicate as Petra, where Anneliese was hardy. He looked over the balcony into the yard, face not at all troubled. 

He was six, almost seven, but Anneliese's teeth clenched in hate and she wished him dead. She backpedalled immediately, begging her devil powers not to go into effect.

He was ill again within hours.

But Anneliese and Petra were sent to their respective households, and they were to wait until they were summoned again to return to court.

The King would mourn, his hands bloodied of his own accord, and yet he would act as if he were cursed, as if it was not his fault. He would bemoan his fate and probably behead a lot of people.

Anneliese didn't dare call on her devil powers to work on him. He was too big, too powerful.

And he was her father.

Maybe, if she was lucky, he would care about her one day.

Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She is definitely not Elizabeth, as I'm not aware of Elizabeth believing she had devil powers. But a creative mind like Kugelmugel's would leap to that conclusion, in my opinion.
> 
> And as far as I'm aware, Elizabeth was not a lesbian or homoromantic like Anneliese. So yeah. :)
> 
> The next update should be longer.


End file.
